As we near the end of this year, and look ahead to a brand new, shiny New Year, it’s also the perfect time to start thinking about planning that next Disney vacation. After all, is there any better New Year’s resolution than visiting one of the Disney parks, or maybe finally taking that long-dreamed-about Disney Cruise?

So with that in mind, I thought it was the perfect time to re-run portions of an article that I wrote last spring about taking those first steps towards making your Disney vacation dreams a reality. I hope you find it helpful! Happy New Year…..and happy planning!  

I always tell folks that there are 3 basic keys to making an affordable Disney vacation happen: planning, budgeting, and an open mind. With these three things guiding you, you can really take all the aspects of a Disney vacation and change each as needed until you have a vacation you can afford.

In fact, I like to think of it as putting the pieces of a puzzle together to create a beautiful picture. In this case that picture is your dream of a Disney vacation only with this puzzle there is no right way to put those pieces together! The only right way is the one that makes your dream a reality! Saving money on a Disney vacation is about choices and in some instances, trade-offs: if you want or need to spend more in one area, then work to reduce costs in another. Start with making a realistic budget, and then consider the following:

When Are You Going?

It may seem as if this goes without saying, but knowing when you can go has a huge effect on the cost of your vacation: some times of year are simply more expensive than others. Typically holidays and school vacations are the most expensive of all….so if you have any flexibility at all, try to schedule your trip during the cheaper times of year if you can.  If you can’t do that, then know that you will be moving other puzzle pieces around this one, in order to make it all work. But no worries, it will all work!

What Disney Deals Are Available?

When people ask me what is the cheapest way to plan their Disney vacation, I always tell them “it depends”. The thing about this Disney vacation puzzle that we’re putting together is, as I have already said, there is more than one way to put the puzzle together.

There are so many factors that go into planning a Disney vacation that you really need to be prepared to do some comparisons. So get out that trusty calculator, and once you have your budget and know when you will be traveling (or at least the general time of year or month) then start with looking at the promotions that Disney offers for that time. Get a quote. Add in one of the Disney Dining Plans if you think it might work for your family, and compare the costs with paying for your food out of pocket. And look at each of the Dining Plans too, because it may be that a different “level” of plan (Quick Service for example) might be more cost effective than another for your family.

Remember the 3 keys: planning, budgeting, and an open mind? This is where that open mind is crucial. You may “think” you know what will be least expensive, but until you actually run all the numbers, you can’t know for certain. And people are surprised about what is actually cheapest for them all the time!

How Will You Get There?

I always recommend trying to make a decision, at least a tentative one, about your transportation as soon as possible. You don’t necessarily have to book your travel, but having a pretty solid idea of how you are going to get to Disney World….and how much it will cost….is important to know at the beginning, preferably before you book your accommodations or package. This way, you can play with the puzzle pieces a bit more, if necessary until you make them fit with your budget.

Another benefit of doing this early: start watching for ways to save money at the beginning. If you are flying, figure out what your likely carriers are and get on their promotional email list, and/or become Facebook or Twitter fans. Many discounts are given out this way that the general public never knows about. Giving yourself enough time on this part will allow you to jump on a promotion when it becomes available.

Don’t Forget the Tickets

Most people who are not getting a package, try to save money on their Disney park tickets, and it is possible to save a little on the actual cost, by using an authorized Disney ticket broker….but it won’t be a huge savings. What may save you more money is having an “open mind” (again!) about the type of ticket that you buy: maybe you save by not getting a Park Hopper, or the Water Parks Fun and More option. Or perhaps you will benefit from a package promotion where “Kids Play Free”, so that you are saving on your ticket costs that way.

This puzzle piece has a little flexibility…but not much. Whatever you do, as we discussed before, never buy tickets from eBay or Craigslist: tickets that have been partially used are non-transferrable, and you can’t be sure that there are really ANY days on the tickets at all until you get to the gate. Which is too late to do anything about it.

And Then There’s Food

This is a puzzle piece that you can move around a LOT, as there are many ways that you can save money on your Disney dining. Dining plan options, bringing food with you, eating off-site, cooking/eating in (a benefit of having a condo or house with a kitchen!) are just a few ways that you can potentially make your trip more affordable.

So as you can see, with planning, that trusty budget and an open mind, you really have all kinds of ways that you can shift and adjust the puzzle pieces of your vacation until you create your Disney dream.

As Walt Disney himself, was fond of saying: “If you can dream it, you can do it!”

Find out how the FREE services of a Disney World travel agent can make planning your Disney vacation simple…and for a limited time, get a FREE Disney gift card when you book your trip with me! ($2000 minimum package cost)

Free Planning Help

Probably the biggest myth out there, is that using a travel agent will cost the client more….and frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the services of a Disney World travel agent are free to the vacationer, as travel agents are paid by the company that they book with. So when using a travel agent, the client gets tons of help, Disney expertise and planning knowledge….for free. It’s a win-win situation for the Disney vacationer!

Saving Money

Working with a Disney travel agent is not only free, but in many cases it will save the client money both in the short term as well as the long term. One of the reasons I was so excited to do this, was to have the ability to know about all available Disney promotions and deals, guaranteeing that my clients are saving the most money possible. After all, I founded The Affordable Mouse, so you know I am all about saving money!

So it has been very gratifying to work with folks whose vacations ended up costing almost a third of what they were expecting, simply because they came to me for help. I consider saving people that much money a huge success! And since my agency, Destinations in Florida, often offers special group packages/rates just for our clients, I have the ability to share those great deals as well.

Perhaps the part that is the nicest for clients, is knowing that their Disney World travel agent is always monitoring their trip, and when new promotions come out, the agent will automatically re-book their trip if it will save them money. Even for a Disney veteran who keeps up with all the latest Disney news, and is aware of when discounts come out….it’s very nice to know that they don’t have to take the time to crunch the numbers and get on the phone with Disney to re-book….their agent is doing all of that for them.

Resorts and Dining and Tickets Oh My!

Clearly there is a lot involved in planning a Disney vacation. For the person that is new to Disney, having the guidance and help of a Disney World travel agent can be a huge relief. From the minute that someone contacts me, I am available to discuss resort options, dining, tickets, where to go and when, and a whole host of other important Disney planning questions. Planning a Disney vacation is overwhelming when you have never done so before….and even if you have, it takes a lot of time…which is something that many people just don’t have. So even if you are a Disney veteran, and have an idea of what you want your trip to be like, having someone take care of all the details is very helpful. Let’s face it: wouldn’t you rather sleep in at 180 days out from your trip and have your Disney World travel agent book your ADRs for you?

Let’s Talk Experience

There are a lot of amazing and wonderful travel agents out there, but when you’re going on a Disney vacation, you need a Disney travel specialist. I hear all the time from folks who have “talked to an agent at XYZ” who told them information about Walt Disney World that is just not true….or the person was very vague because they clearly didn’t know Disney.

Well a Disney World travel agent knows Disney, and if you’re going to the expense of planning what you hope will be a truly magical vacation for your family, why not use someone who will plan your trip as if it were their own?

I have to say that I truly love what I am doing. I get such a thrill out of knowing that families that I have worked with are creating special and lasting Disney memories on their vacations…and that I have had a very small part in helping them to do so stress-free, and affordably. Kind of like spreading a little of my own pixie dust, one trip at a time!

Want help planning your Disney vacation? Find out how the FREE services of a Disney World travel agent can make it all simple…and save you time and money too!

Last week I wrote about Disney’s Magic Your Way ticket options, and shared some of the ways that you can choose to create the right Disney park ticket for your vacation. This week I wanted to touch on a related…and no less important topic: actually buying your tickets and how to make sure you protect yourself in the process.

This topic really touches a nerve with me because nearly every day I read about someone who got ripped off trying to save money buying Disney tickets somewhere…only to find out that the tickets they bought were worthless. What a less-than-magical way to start a vacation…to say nothing of the money that was lost buying supposedly “discount Disney tickets” that were not valid. It’s sad….but unfortunately people just don’t know…and so they get taken advantage of.

I love talking about ways to save money on a Disney vacation, and I will tell you where you can save money. There are ways to save money on Disney tickets…and there are also places you need to steer clear of. I’ve written about this in the past, but it’s SUCH an important topic, I’m going to revisit it again today.

Buy From a Travel Agent or From Disney

It may seem obvious, but this is always where to start. Disney periodically offers packages that include tickets, and sometimes meals too…and you need to start by comparing what you would pay for a package vs. buying everything separately. In the past, for example, Disney has had a “Kids Stay and Play Free” offer that could be quite a savings for a family, especially with a number of children that received tickets at no cost. Ask your travel agent about current promotions, and for advice with choosing the right ticket for your family. You can also order your tickets from the Disney website in advance, if you already know what you want. The most important thing here is never wait and buy them at the gate: Disney tickets cost more at the gate! Buy them online in advance, and if there is not enough time for them to be sent to you, you can pick them up at Will Call when you get to Disney.

Buy From a Reputable Ticket Agency

Authorized ticket brokers are able to sell tickets for less money than gate prices because they buy tickets in bulk from each attraction and theme park, and these large quantities enable them to receive discounts which they then pass on to their customers. An authorized Disney ticket agency will display the Disney logo and the “authorized ticket agent” designation.

In addition, check to see if the business belongs to the local Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau, as this is a good indication of the company’s standing in the community. It’s also worth it to see that they have been in business for at least several years.

“If it Looks Too Good to be True…..”

They key to saving money on Disney tickets is frankly to remember what your mother always told you: “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” So when doing your research, know that you will find websites with prices that are lower than the gate prices at Disney…but use some caution: if they are so low they are unbelievable, you should assume that it’s a scam. You can also take a look at the URL on the website: many scams originate in Romania (you will see an .ro at the end of the URL), where they will usually request that you pay by wire transfer, which is a huge red flag. Always buy discount Walt Disney World tickets with a credit card, so that you can get your money back if there is any problem.

Do You Really Want to Sit Through a Timeshare Presentation?

A standard way that many ticket brokers provide tickets for practically nothing is to require the buyer to sit through a lengthy timeshare presentation first. Be sure to read the fine print at the bottom of the website where it will disclose if they are soliciting for timeshares. It’s certainly not a problem if they are, nor is it a problem if that’s something you want to do…just make certain you know upfront before you commit.

Never Buy From Craigslist and eBay

Anyone who is familiar with Craigslist or eBay will know that really cheap Disney theme park tickets are available on these sites on a regular basis. But buyer beware! The problem with buying discount Walt Disney World tickets from eBay or Craiglist is that there is literally no way that you can be certain that you will get tickets that are valid…until you get to the park gate and try to use them. Only once the ticket is scanned at the turnstile, will you know how many days, if any, are on your tickets.

Sadly, there are many con artists on eBay and Craigslist who are supposedly selling Disney tickets for less. And even if you, in good faith, get a “partially used” park pass, since Disney tickets are non-transferable (and Disney enforces this through a biometric finger scan), you would not be able use it, since it is illegal in the state of Florida to re-sell partially used multi-day admission tickets.

And Once You Have Your Tickets…

Have you ever thought about what would happen on your vacation if you lost your tickets? Think it won’t happen to you? Think again…it happens all the time, and I can’t think of many things that would ruin a vacation quicker than to spend hundreds of dollars on theme park tickets…only to lose them! Happily, there is one very simple way to make sure that your vacation is not ruined by lost theme park tickets: make a copy of the back of them.

The back side, with the magnetic strip, has coded information with all the details of your personal ticket. All these numbers, letters, and dates will actually help Disney replace the tickets if you lose them. And while the tickets do say “Disney is not responsible for misplaced, lost, or stolen tickets”, in all likelihood, if you can provide the coded information, they will usually re-issue the pass.

Alternate ideas for saving this valuable coded information include taking a photo of the backs, either with a digital camera or cell phone. By doing this, if you lose the tickets while at the park, you will have immediate access to the codes on your camera or cell phone.

It is important to note that receipts that you receive from ticket brokers, while important, will not help in getting your tickets replaced. You must have the codes from the back of your passes. For my family, I generally copy the tickets the minute we receive them.

Part of planning an affordable Disney vacation is saving money and planning to get the most for that money while you are there. Another equally important element, in my opinion, is to protect the vacation investment that you are making. When it comes to your Disney park tickets, shop smart, buy smart, and take two minutes to make copies so that you don’t have any unexpected and unwelcome ticket surprises when you get to the Disney parks.

Disney World park tickets are probably the most important part of your Disney vacation budget because without them, you won’t be visiting any parks! However, this is part of the planning process that often gets overlooked because, well, buying tickets…..how hard can that be?

How hard indeed?

It’s Disney, so that means there will be choices…lots of choices….and while those choices can help you possibly save some money (or at least add to the enjoyment/value of your trip), those choices can also be confusing to sort through.

So with that in mind, I’m going to take the next couple week’s posts to chat a bit about Disney World tickets, how to (possibly) get discount Disney tickets, and where to never ever buy your tickets.

Today, let’s talk just about what’s available. Because yes, you have choices.

Ticket Option #1: Base Ticket

The simplest ticket option is the Base Ticket, which provides you access to one park per day. You purchase this ticket for the number of days you will need, keeping in mind that the more days you “play” the less expensive per day your ticket is. Disney rewards those who plan to stay at least 4 days. With this ticket, you do not have the ability to “park hop” (visit more than one park per day), although you also don’t need to purchase tickets for a specific park either: you can go to Magic Kingdom every day if you want…and you really don’t need to decide until just before you walk through those turnstiles. Just be advised that once you do, that’s your park for the day. If you leave you may return…but only to that park.

Current prices for a Base Ticket start at $82 for one day for an adult (ages 10+) and $74      for a child (ages 3-9). A 7 day Base Ticket will cost $274 for adults and $224 for children. This ticket expires 14 days after it is activated.

Ticket Option #2: Park Hopper

This add-on to your ticket allows you the option to park hop: that is, visit as many parks as you would like in one day. There is no limit…you can visit all 4 in one day if you like (and if you had the stamina). It is important to realize however, that the Park Hopper option applies only to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom…in other words, the “major parks”.  If you want to visit water parks, that is something additional.

As with the Base Ticket, this option is priced for the number of days you will need, and again, is less expensive per day, the longer you stay.

Current prices to add the Park Hopper option start at $54 for one day but goes down to just $7.71 per day for a 7 day ticket. This ticket expires 14 days after it is activated.

Ticket Option #3: Water Parks Fun and More

This is also an add-on option to your tickets, and allows you to visit the Disney “minor parks” such as Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, and Wide World of Sports. The Water Parks Fun and More visits are in addition to the number of days of your Base or Park Hopping ticket. The number of Water Park Fun and More visits you receive is determined by the length of your ticket, and you do not have to visit any of the major parks on a day when you use the WPF&M option. However, you also do not have the ability to “park hop” with this option: if you start at Blizzard Beach and then decide to go to Typhoon Lagoon on the same day…that will use 2 of your visits.

Current prices to add the Water Parks Fun and More option start at $54 for one day but goes down to just $7.71 per day for a 7 day ticket. This ticket expires 14 days after it is activated

Ticket Option #4: No Expiration

This is another add-on option that allows any un-used days to be available for future use. They do not expire until used. Having tickets that do not expire can be a cost-saver if you plan another visit to Walt Disney World in the future. It is important, if you are considering this add-on because of future trips, to compare the cost of this to that of an Annual Pass. Sometimes an Annual Pass may be a better choice (more on that shortly).

Current prices for the No Expiration option start at $11 on a 2 Day ticket but can cost as much as $20.29 per day for a 7 day ticket.

Choosing the Right Ticket, Upgrading, or Adding Days

So these are the basic options for Disney park tickets. As you can see, you have the ability to pretty much customize your ticket purchase using any…or all…of the options, to create the ticket that is best for your family. So when deciding which ticket to get, you will think about:

• How many days you will be there. Think about your arrival and departure days: will you have enough time those days to enjoy time at the parks?
• Do you want the ability to Park Hop? There is no right or wrong answer to this. At certain times of the year, having this flexibility is really helpful. But if you expect to just stay in one park for the day, this may not be something you need.
• Decide if you will really need or use the Water Parks Fun and More option. If you are visiting during the winter months, you may not get your money’s worth from this.
• Think about if you want to add some extra days and purchase the No Expiration option.
• Then add whatever options you think you will want/need to your base ticket.

One thing to think about, is that you have the option to upgrade or add options to your tickets if you choose to do so, as long as you do it within the 14 day window after the first use, and you do it while still at Disney World. So if you start with a Base ticket, and decide that you want to upgrade to an Annual Pass, or add the Park Hopper or No Expiration option, you can do so. There may be some restrictions to this, as Disney ticket policies do change, so always check at Guest Relations, or a Disney hotel concierge for the latest policies.

Other Ticket Choices: Annual Pass/Premium Annual Pass and Florida Resident

For those who expect to visit multiple times in a year, or at least more than a week, it’s usually a good idea to at least compare the cost of the ticket you would normally purchase, with the cost of an Annual Pass or Premium Annual Pass. An Annual Pass provides you with unlimited Park Hopper admission to the 4 Main Parks for 12 months with no blackout dates. A Premium Annual Pass provides you all of the above, plus unlimited admission to Disney Quest, Disney’s water parks, and ESPN’s Wide World of Sports.

You will want your calculator for this, because with all of the Magic Your Way Options…including the possibility of just adding days to the ticket you want to buy and purchasing the No Expiration Option….you won’t really know what is the best option for you until you do the math.

The thing is, you will need to factor in several other things when making this decision, beyond just the cost, because Annual Passholders typically receive a number of benefits: free parking (huge if you usually stay off site), as well as discounts on a number of shopping, dining and recreational activities. And that doesn’t take into account the periodic room discounts that Disney offers to Annual Passholders. Many people find that what they save on a room on one of these promotions pretty much pays for the AP. For many people, especially those who plan longer visits, or multiple visits in a year, buying an Annual Pass can end up being a huge savings.

As for those of you who are Florida residents, you have several options as well, that will allow you to choose the ticket that is best for how often you are likely to visit the parks. Ranging for a special Florida Annual Pass, to savings on Single Day, Multiple Day, and Water Park tickets, Disney offers choices for Florida residents as well. Learn more about Florida Resident tickets here.

Choices, choices Disney gives you lots of choices on tickets. Now that you know what they all are, next week we’ll talk about where to buy them…and perhaps more importantly, where NOT to buy them.

It’s National Plan a Vacation Week….but for those of us who are, ahem, Disney obsessed, I have to say that every week is probably Plan a Vacation Week….Disney vacations that is. If we are not planning a Disney vacation, we dream of planning a Disney vacation, make plans to plan a Disney vacation, read about planning a Disney vacation…….and sometimes we even plan a Disney vacation for others.

That was, of course, the reason why I started The Affordable Mouse in the first place: to share with others what I have learned about planning Disney vacations, and help others to experience that Disney magic with their families.

For me and every other Disney blogger out there, every week is Disney vacation planning week….and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Walt Disney had this vision for what he wanted to create with his theme parks: a place where families could experience the magic of just being with each other….and those who have found the Disney experience to be as magical as Walt envisioned, feel compelled to help others do the same.

Ya kind of can’t really help it.

So this week is truly the perfect time for me to officially share some news that I mentioned briefly a few weeks ago, to those of you who are on my email newsletter list:

I am excited to announce that I have joined Destinations to Florida travel agency as a Disney Travel Specialist.

This is truly fulfilling a dream that I have had, literally for years, and is the natural extension of what I have been doing with The Affordable Mouse for well over a year now: helping people achieve their dream of experiencing a magical and memorable Disney vacation.

I am especially excited because being a Disney travel agent gives me the ability to offer more assistance and services to those of you who need or want the help. Now I am able to:

• Personally search for you, to find the very best deal available for your Disney vacation
• Let you know when new Disney promotions are available…and help you save money on a vacation even after it is booked.
• Work with you on an individual basis to design the perfect vacation for your family at a price you can afford.
• Help make dining and itinerary decisions with and for you if you want
• Provide personal, one on one help with any other Disney vacation questions you have

Most importantly for you, booking your Disney vacation with me, and using my services as a Disney travel specialist will cost you nothing. Imagine having a personal Disney vacation planner…for free.

What specific vacations can I assist you with? While I will be concentrating specifically on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney, I will have the ability to book pretty much anything!

And what does this mean for The Affordable Mouse? Will anything change? Well, yes and no. We will all still be working very hard to provide you with articles, information, tips and strategies about planning affordable Disney vacations, so you will still be able to find all kinds of great ideas here on our site and blog. Nothing about that will change at all…in fact we have some plans for adding more helpful information as The Affordable Mouse continues to grow!

But there will be some new things too, and if you have had a sharp eye over the past several days, you have probably noticed the addition of a new page dedicated just to getting information on pricing a Disney vacation. There you can request a quote (no obligation!), and can find links to more details about all the Disney itineraries available.  A few other pages will now have some new information as well, and the Savings and Promotions page will be redesigned with some new additions in the coming weeks.

All of this is designed to help you.

I am so excited to be able to achieve this dream of mine and want all of you to know that I am totally committed to helping you plan the most affordable Disney vacation possible! If you have any questions or want more information, please feel free to let me know: nancy@theaffordablemouse.com.

Happy National Plan a Vacation Week….and have a truly magical day!

Buyer Beware: Discount Disney Tickets 411

There are currently some fantastic Disney promotions that can really help you plan an affordable Disney vacation, and if you are able to travel during the promotion availability, you can save some serious money. But what if you can’t? What if you have to visit Disney World during the “popular” times: vacations, holidays etc? Disney does not offer promotions during that time frame, because frankly they don’t need to. The crowds during these times prove the obvious: the last thing Disney needs to do is offer attractive promotions to entice more people to visit.

You can read the rest of the post at Chip and Co.

Thanks for going over there to play today! Have a magical day!

I get many questions from people who are thinking about visiting Walt Disney World and want Disney World vacation tips and suggestions. Disney vacation planning can be very involved and confusing as well, so the goal of this series is to start at the beginning, and look at everything you need to think about, in the general order you need to think about it. Each week’s post will be numbered and link to all the others so that, when complete, you will have a guide with all the steps and information you need to plan your own Disney magic.

Up until now, in our Step-by-Step Planning Series, we have been talking about aspects of your vacation that need to be thought about as early in the process as possible, if you want to be able to have an affordable Disney vacation. Ideally, most of the previous steps should be researched, decided, and in many cases booked from 4-6 months before your vacation. If you are planning to travel during a high-traffic season, like the Christmas holidays, closer to 6 months is best.

From here on out, I’ll be talking about some other aspects of your vacation that are part of your vacation budget, but don’t have to be decided on quite so early.

Today’s post will deal with tickets, another major expenditure…which is why you want to make sure you are not spending more than you have to.:)

Basically, there are two parts to this discussion:

1. Where you can get Disney parks tickets
2. Where you should NOT buy Disney parks tickets

Let’s briefly discuss the first one:

You can purchase Disney World park passes through Disney, or through an authorized Disney ticket broker. Those are the only two avenues you should consider if you want to be confident that you are getting actual Disney park tickets.

If you are purchasing a Disney resort package, your tickets will be part of that package, so you are good to go! But if you are booking your room individually (no package) at a Disney resort, or staying off-site at a non-Disney hotel, vacation home, villa, or condo, then you will need to order theme park tickets.

You can do this through the Disney website. Or you can get Disney theme parks tickets from a broker. There are a number of reputable brokers that you can purchase tickets from safely, and save some money. Not huge amounts, but enough to make it worth it, especially if you will be staying for several days, and have a number of people in your party.

The company that I have personally used, and recommend highly is Undercover Tourist. Their prices are great, their service is even better, and they are completely reputable. I would not recommend them otherwise. And their website does a great job of breaking down the Magic Your Way ticket structure and that alone makes them pretty awesome.

As to where you should NOT buy Disney theme parks tickets? Well, every place else….

I really can’t emphasize this part enough. Be very, very careful here, as unfortunately, many, many people get burned every year trying to save money on tickets, only to find that their “tickets” were worthless.

So steer clear of eBay, Craigslist, or any website or seller that offers prices that seem too good to be true…because they probably are. Look at the fine print as well, and make sure you are not agreeing to sit through a lengthy timeshare presentation in order to get those tickets…unless you really want to lol.

If you want to learn more, you can a basic overview on the Discounted Tickets page.  In addition, I discuss how to determine a reputable Disney ticket broker in this post. And to learn more about where you should not buy Disney tickets, you can read more in this post.

Learn all the details here.

Have a magical day!

Let’s start with the “bad” news: as expected, Disney World ticket prices went up on Sunday, August 3. The Magic Your Way one-day, one-park base ticket now costs $79 for adults and $68 for children 3-9, which raised park passes by $4 adult and $5 child. The price for Annual Passes and Annual Pass renewals also went up as well……however, and this brings me to some “good” news: Disney has made the Annual Pass good for 15 months, which is a definite way to get more for your money if you are a frequent Disney visitor, and somewhat balances that price increase for Annual Passholders. You can read more information about the increase here: Walt Disney World rolls out Passholder renewal offer — 15 months for price of 12. Of course, you can still get discounted Disney tickets by visiting a reputable online ticket broker.

In other Disney news, not necessarily Disney World related, Disney Cruise Line has a super promotion for some of their Disney Mediterranean cruises next April and May. Kids 17 and under sail free on most 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, April 24 – May 26, 2010: they must be with two full-fare guests in the same stateroom, and this offer is only for certain stateroom categories.While a Disney Cruise is not cheap, it is a truly magical experience, and if you have been thinking about doing something like this…especially to take advantage of the chance for your children to see another part of the world…then don’t miss out on this great promotion. Contact your travel agent for details!

Lastly, the “good news” (if you are interested in really neat architecture and design) is that the newest property in the Disney Vacation Club, Bay Lake Tower, officially opened on Tuesday, August 4. Adjacent to the Contemporary Resort, it shares the same contemporary theming, along with a fabulous location right outside of the Magic Kingdom. You can see some photos here and here as well. Pretty cool, isn’t it? It may not be the best way to have an affordable Disney family vacation…but if you can ever splurge, well being right next door to Cinderella’s Castle is the way to go! =)

Have a magical day!!

What about using online ticket brokers, you may ask? Well if Disney raises prices, they will need to as well. To save the most money, visit a reputable ticket company like Undercover Tourist. If you need additional information, you are welcome to visit my page at The Affordable Mouse for discounted Disney World tickets.

In other, unrelated news, I have become initiated into the wonderful world of Facebook and Twitter this week, as I expand my “circle of friends” online, and research more great tips for planning affordable Disney family vacations. If you are on Facebook, please feel free to “friend request” me (please include a note indicating that you are from the Affordable Mouse Blog, so I will know who you are!), and I invite you to follow me on Twitter as well! (I have got to say: if you are not “tweeting” yet, get going! It is fun, informative, and highly addictive, lol!) Click the buttons to the left to find me =)

To conclude, I am including a link to a great article I found on Twitter today, regarding fun, inexpensive “fill-your-own” souvenirs at Walt Disney World. Great ideas, and my thanks to Amanda M. Rose for sharing!

Have a magical day!